


Harriet at Hogwarts

by HermioneEowynP



Series: Emma Approved × Middle earth × wizarding world crossover [2]
Category: Emma Approved, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, The Lord of the Rings (Movies), The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-15
Updated: 2015-12-21
Packaged: 2018-04-14 20:01:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 3,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4578051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HermioneEowynP/pseuds/HermioneEowynP
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is a Hogwarts AU version of Emma Approved (itself a modern AU version of Jane Austen's Emma), with some characters from Lord of the Rings. The titular Harriet is Harriet Smith, a newly sorted Hufflepuff at the beginning of the story.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. One Does Not Simply Hate on Hufflepuff

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All characters belong to their respective owners. Any Emma Approved characterisation I borrow belongs to the Pemberley Digital team.

It was Harriet Smith’s first day of lessons at Hogwarts. She was a Muggle-born orphan, and had never heard of Hogwarts in her life until a strangely-dressed but kindly lady came to visit her at the house of her guardian, Mrs Goddard. The lady told her she had been registered for a place at this magical school, where she could learn to control the strange abilities she had discovered.

She had bought her books and school supplies, read the books several times over, tried to memorise them, and been sorted into Hufflepuff.

She was now on her way to the Great Hall for lunch with Elizabeth Martin, a friend she had made on the Hogwarts Express.

A group of Slytherin girls passed them in the corridor and proceeded to stand around talking, preventing Harriet and Elizabeth from going further.

“Why does Hufflepuff house even exist? They are useless and stupid!”  _(Author: They don’t know the details of the Battle of Hogwarts very well then.)_

“Look at the bag the blonde one is carrying! So Muggle! So out of fashion! Why do they even let Mudbloods in anyway?”

Harriet was already tearing. Even though she had no idea what Mudblood meant, she knew it was no compliment. Elizabeth was bravely trying to steer her way through to get to the Great Hall, but the mean girls were running further away from them like they had bird flu, still blocking their way.

“Stop that!” Faramir, one of the Ravenclaw prefects, came round the corner. “Where are you lot supposed to be anyway?”

“Oh er… off to the library,” the Slytherin girls scuttled off.

“Hey, are you OK?” Faramir asked Harriet in a gentler voice.

“Yeahfine,” Harriet said in a small voice, still trying to hold back tears.

“Faramir! There isn’t going to be any more stew left for you in the Great Hall like what you told me the last time!” Aragorn, the Head Boy, came from the direction of Gryffindor tower. “Wait, what happened here?” He asked after seeing the sobbing Harriet.

“A group of mean girls bullying them just for being Hufflepuff newbies,” Faramir explained.

“Don’t you see yourself as inferior just because the Sorting Hat put you into Hufflepuff. Remember the Head Girl, Arwen, the most perfect girl I have ever known…” (Here Faramir smiled knowingly and shook his head at the two girls as if to say “this silly lovesick guy”.) “is also a Hufflepuff. Let her know if anybody bullies you. Or any of the other Hufflepuff prefects. Let’s all go to the Great Hall together - you must be starving after going all over the castle this morning. You shouldn’t be bothered by any more bullies while you are with us.”

Harriet did feel better after having the two prefects - one of them the Head Boy! - comforting her and even joking with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I sorted Arwen in Hufflepuff based on her book characterisation (being loyal to Aragorn even as he was away). I am a Hufflepuff on Pottermore myself, so I don’t mean this as an insult. Arwen will appear in the next chapter.


	2. Meeting Arwen and Alex

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harriet meet Arwen and Alex when the Hufflepuff prefects are checking on the first-years after their first full day of lessons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All characters belong to their respective owners. Any Emma Approved characterisation I borrow belongs to the Pemberley Digital team.

“How does it feel to be joining us as a new student?” Faramir asked Harriet and Elizabeth.

“I am rather excited, but scared too, because I am Muggle-born and didn’t know I am magical until I got my letter,” Harriet replied.

“Although my parents are also Muggles, I already knew about Hogwarts from my older brother, Bobby,” Elizabeth said. “I am glad to finally see everyone and everything he has been talking about, and to join him in his house.”

“Bobby… Martin? Oh, Robert Martin! I don’t know him personally, but Alex Knightley, a prefect from your house, mentioned before that he’s a nice guy. So you are his sister! Welcome to Hogwarts again,” smiled Aragorn.

* * *

 

Harriet had finally gotten through her first day of lessons. The Hufflepuff prefects were going round talking to the first-years, asking them about their first full day in school.

She looked closer at the female prefects and tried to identify the Head Girl, Arwen, who had spoken to them briefly the previous night.  She assumed this Head Girl would simply be a distant figure who just gave speeches like the one in her primary school.

“Hi Harriet, I am Arwen. Aragorn and Faramir told me that you are not only new to Hogwarts, but also new to the wizarding world.”

So this was the “most perfect girl” Aragorn had ever known. She was a beautiful girl with long dark hair and very fair and clear skin. And she didn’t seem to have any airs as the Head Girl.

“Where do you come from?” Arwen asked.

“Highbury,” Harriet replied.

“I am from Rivendell. One of our other prefects hail from Highbury too - Alex Knightley. That’s him talking to Elizabeth.” Arwen gestured towards a dark-haired boy chatting with Elizabeth.

“Oh yes, Aragorn mentioned Alex to us earlier.”

“Are you thinking of joining any clubs? It’s a great way to get to know people with common interests.”

“I sing and play the ukulele.”

“Oh, I like music! Dad’s very musical - he brings us to both magical and Muggle concerts during the hols. By ‘us’ I mean my older twin brothers, Elladan and Elrohir, and Aragorn.”

“The Head Boy lives with your family?” Harriet wondered aloud.

“Aragorn lost his family during the Second Wizarding War – you will learn more about the wars in History of Magic – so he came to live with us according to his parents’ wishes.”

“I have never known my parents. For as long as I can remember, I have been living with Mrs Goddard, my guardian. She is very kind to me. But until just now, I was the only person I knew whose parents are not alive.”

“Now you know Aragorn. Faramir and his older brother, Boromir, are orphans too. You might hear about what happened to their parents if you get to know them better. And there are several others. Many people’s family members were fighting in the Wizarding Wars, and some of them gave their lives defending the rights of Muggle-borns like you, as well as Muggles.”

Harriet looked puzzled and awed and frightened all at once, so Arwen changed the topic. “So we were talking about clubs before I started talking about family. The choir you saw performing at the Welcome Feast always welcomes members, you can go audition. Hi Alex, here’s a new student from Highbury! Harriet, I got to go talk to another newbie, let us know if you ever need help.”

“Hello Harriet! It’s always nice to meet someone from home. Hey, you look tired,” Alex added when he saw Harriet trying to hold back a yawn. “Go get some sleep, we’ll talk more another day. Good night!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I checked the Potter books and Pottermore about the roles of the prefects, Head Boy, and Head Girl. Nothing very much happens after the Welcome Feast because everyone is tired from the long journey to school. The prefects lead the first-years to their common rooms and dorms and speak to them. However, in the Pottermore welcome messages (supposed to be in 1991, Harry’s first year), none of the prefects identify themselves as the Head Boy or Head Girl. The only Head Boys and Girls we know of are characters who play active roles in the story. I can’t see (queenly) Arwen outsourcing the job of welcoming new students to another prefect though.


	3. Emma and Alex Discuss Harriet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma and Alex talk about Harriet during Herbology.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All characters belong to their respective owners. Any Emma Approved characterisation borrowed belongs to the Pemberley Digital team. Any Harry Potter movie characterisation borrowed is the work of the movie cast/crew.

“Alex, who’s that pretty blonde first-year in Hufflepuff?” Emma Woodhouse asked Alex during Herbology on Monday.

“Why the interest, Emma?”

“She looks like she needs somebody to take care of her.”

“Arwen spent quite a bit of time chatting with her last night. You can always trust Arwen to take care of anybody.”

“But Arwen will be busy with Head Girl duties and preparing for NEWTs. She won’t have time to introduce that little girl to people.”

“We’ve got our own NEWTs to worry about, even though we sit for them a year after Arwen. John told me it starts getting tough in 6th year. Besides, our young friend has already started making friends on her own.”

“I could help to introduce her to people of good society. She’s got to know people beyond Hufflepuff. You said she already knows you and Arwen. But there’s also the Slug Club people, and more people from the old wizarding families. Any idea of her magical heritage?”

“Emma, thank you so much for insulting the other 67 people in my house. Didn’t this sort of thinking about ‘old wizarding familes’ lead to the wizarding wars? My parents and grandparents died fighting Death Eaters!” Alex exclaimed, breaking open a Snargaluff pod rather violently. “Not all the war heroes belong to the Slug Club. I heard our Professor Longbottom didn’t, anyway.” He turned his head towards Professor Neville Longbottom, who was wearing one of his many cardigans and standing at the front of the greenhouse.

“Alex, you mentioned my name? I hope Emma wasn’t planning to match make me with somebody. I am married,” Professor Longbottom quipped. The 6th years laughed. Emma was well-known as a wannabe matchmaker and there were several female students and Hogsmeade residents with crushes on Professor Longbottom, despite the well-known fact that he was married to the Leaky Cauldron landlady Hannah Abbott. To Alex’s relief, Emma stopped asking about Harriet – until class was over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Emma’s in Slytherin because of her ambition. She’s going to be a more “meritocratic” Slytherin like Slughorn.


	4. Harriet and the Martins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, I have modernised some of the little things Robert did for Harriet in the original Emma novel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Emma characters belong to Jane Austen. The wizarding world is the product of J.K. Rowling’s imagination. Any Emma Approved characterisation I borrow belongs to the Pemberley Digital team.

At breakfast the next day, Harriet was sitting next to Elizabeth and her brother, Robert, when a school owl delivered a letter and a large parcel to the Martins.

“Oh, our mail from Mum has arrived!” Elizabeth exclaimed happily. “She asked me to write to her as soon as I could, so she knows I am settling down here.” She proceeded to open the parcel with Robert.

“Mum sent you some walnuts! You were saying the other day you like to nibble on walnuts while mugging, so I wrote to her to send you some of ours.” Robert passed the bag of walnuts from the parcel to Harriet. “Mum is always pleased when someone likes walnuts; they are good for the brain.”

“Thank you!” Harriet blushed with pleasure. It was the first time a boy had given her a present. The only interaction she had with the boys in her primary school was to get teased by them.

"You can also listen to some of my wizarding records, come up to my dorm with Eliza during one of our common free periods. And there’s choir practice on Saturday. I am so glad you are joining us.”

“That will be right after my orchestra practice. Good thing they are never at the same time in the same place. We would never to able to hear ourselves otherwise! Mum put in a line to you here, Harriet: ‘Say hello to Harriet for me, she sounds like a nice girl. I would like to see her when you come home for the Christmas holidays.’” Elizabeth read out from the letter. “It would be so nice if you could visit us during the Christmas hols, you can see our cows and other animals.”

“Is it really alright? I won’t want to impose on your mum,” Harriet asked.

“It won’t be a problem; Mum’s had my Muggle-born classmates over in the past. If there are any good ukulele concerts during the hols we could attend together. We will say hello to Mrs Goddard when we meet her at King’s Cross and even pay you a visit at home, so she won’t have to worry about you going off with strangers,” Robert offered.

The bell for the first class rang and the three of them hurried off to their respective classes. The Christmas holidays were still 3 months away, but Harriet was already looking forward to meeting her friends’ mum and the prospect of going to a concert with Robert Martin.

  


	5. Emma Speculates about Harriet’s Parentage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pretty much what it says in the chapter title. Just substitute "English noble blood" with "wizarding blood".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All characters belong to their respective owners. Any Emma Approved characterisation I borrow belongs to the Pemberley Digital team.

Emma still had not given up trying to make the acquaintance of the pretty blonde Hufflepuff first-year. Alex had always been sceptical of the way she mentored other students or match make them, so she wasn’t surprised that he was reluctant to tell her more about the little girl.

That Saturday she finished her breakfast early and decided to take a walk by the lake. She could go from the Slytherin table to the Hufflepuff table to look for Alex and then run into the girl along the way.

“Morning Emma,” Alex had already spotted her and was waving to her. It would be best not to try to talk to the girl now.

* * *

After one circuit round the lake, Emma saw the girl with Robert Martin and another girl who appeared to be his sister. They were coming out of the Great Hall. As they neared the door to the Great Hall, Emma waved at Harriet before Alex could stop her.

* * *

Harriet wondered why the girl with Alex was waving at them. “Shall we all go over?” She asked Robert.

“I think it’s just you Emma wants to speak to,” Robert told her. He was all too aware of Emma’s disdain of him. “She’s Alex’s good friend, she won’t eat you.”

“See you at choir practice this evening,” Harriet waved goodbye to Robert before going over to Emma and Alex.

* * *

“Hello, I am Emma Woodhouse, Alex’s fellow prefect and friend,” Emma introduced herself once Harriet came within speaking distance.

“Hello…  Emma,” Harriet was taken aback. Emma might be a year below Arwen, but she seemed bossier and older. How did she know she knew Alex? “My  name is Harriet Smith, It’s an honour to meet you.”

“It’s such a beautiful morning, Harriet! Let’s walk round the lake together!”

Emma asked Harriet several questions about her family and how she found Hogwarts.

“You say you are Muggle-born?” Emma inquired.

“Mrs Goddard never told me anything unusual about my parents. Not even after I was offered a place here. It was a surprise to her too,” Harriet replied.

“Under the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy, your parents won’t have been able to tell her anything even if they were magical. So you might have magical blood for all you know.”

* * *

“Emma, you really shouldn't put such ideas into Harriet’s head. Say Harriet’s parents are indeed magical. Why not entrust her to a magical guardian who would be better able to protect her during the war?” Alex told Emma later after Harriet had gone indoors.

“Maybe she’s like Harry Potter - she’s the Chosen One who had to be brought up like a Muggle in order for her to remain humble.”

“Unlike Harry Potter, nobody knew who she was until she came in to be sorted. I think you are too obsessed with whether people have magical heritage. Come, let’s get started on our homework, we have loads. We could bring it out here to do.”


	6. Late Afternoon Conversations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter features the modern-day incarnations of most of the Middle-earth characters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All characters belong to their respective owners. Any Emma Approved characterisation I borrow belongs to the Pemberley Digital team. Any Lord of the Rings movie characterisation I borrow belongs to the movie crew and cast.

Arwen and Aragorn entered the Great Hall after a walk around the lake in the late afternoon and ran into Boromir.

“Looks like Emma’s found her ‘client’ for this school year,” he whispered, gesturing towards the Slytherin table, where Harriet was sitting with Emma.

“Emma has a good heart. But she can be rather clueless sometimes about what ‘good society’ is,” Aragorn said. Having heard Elrond’s stories about his work with the Order during the Second Wizarding War and the patients from all walks of life he treated at St. Mungo’s, he wasn’t as obsessed about the blood status of the people he socialised with as Emma.

“Good thing she has sensible Alex as her friend,” Arwen added.

“But one does not simply talk Emma out of doing something!” Boromir exclaimed. “Not even Alex.”

“I hope she’s not going to match make Harriet with somebody. I know when I just started here, I wasn’t interested in that sort of thing,” Arwen said.

“I was already in love with you from the first moment I saw you. That was way before Hogwarts.” Aragorn smiled at the memory.

"You did look like a nice little kid. I fell for you when we started our 4th year here. You hit puberty and you got really good-looking and you took fashion lessons from Grandma and you started growing your hair long…" Arwen ran her fingers through Aragorn’s dark shoulder-length hair.

“I am starting to feel like a third wheel. Maybe I should go to the pitch and fly a bit- Hello little brother!” Boromir waved merrily to Faramir and his girlfriend, Éowyn. “Still going to the pitch. Don’t want to be a fifth wheel.”

“Because everyone’s with their boyfriend or girlfriend – or victim, I mean ‘client’ – now?” Aragorn laughed.

“Victim? Client? Emma’s found somebody to work on this term?” Faramir asked as he approached.

“Harriet,” Aragorn replied, gesturing towards the two girls.

“You won’t be seeing her in your common room much,” Faramir told Arwen, shaking his head. “That’s what happened when Emma took a Ravenclaw under her wing.”

“I won’t let myself be Emma’s project,” Éowyn said. “I can look out for myself.”

“Anyone who’s seen you play Quidditch would agree.” Aragorn concurred.

“That guy you hit with the Bludger last match you played against Ravenclaw – even after going to the hospital wing, he suffered the side-effects for a long time,” Faramir recalled.

“All this talk about Quidditch is making me hungry… can’t wait for dinner,” Aragorn rubbed his stomach.

“You started it, my love,” Arwen smiled. “Here’s some lembas from my grandparents in the meantime to tide us all over.” She pulled out the packet from her pocket for the four of them to share.


	7. Introducing James Elton

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter reveals what Emma and Harriet were talking about when the others saw them together in the Great Hall the last time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All characters belong to their respective owners. Any Emma Approved characterisation I borrow belongs to the Pemberley Digital team.

“Is it really alright if I join you here during our common free periods?” Harriet asked Emma nervously at the Slytherin table as Aragorn and the others were chatting at another part of the Great Hall.

“With me around, nobody will dare to say anything to you. During the weekend, we are not wearing our uniforms, and I don’t think any of the students knows every single one of their schoolmates, so no one will realise you aren’t actually a Slytherin. It’s also good to mix around with people from other houses. Being so new to magical society, you ought to meet more people from wizarding families. After graduation, you will likely work in the magical world – I have never heard of Muggle-borns doing whatever Muggles do after leaving their equivalent of Hogwarts. Speaking of not wearing uniforms, I think I ought to get you some new clothes-”

“You don’t have to do that!” Harriet exclaimed.

“Don’t worry about it. I know you won’t be able to go to Hogsmeade to shop until your third year here, but I have plenty of experience buying clothes for others in the correct sizes. Even if what I get doesn’t quite fit, I could magic them to fit better – something that’s so much easier to do in our world! I think you would like something special to wear Professor Slughorn’s Christmas party.”

“He throws a Christmas party?” Harriet had never heard of any teacher doing that for students outside class hours, and she didn’t recall him saying anything about parties during Potions classes.

“Yes, for some of us and you can attend as my guest. Alex, Aragorn and Arwen are usually invited too, so there will be other people you already know. And you can meet lots of other people worth knowing there. You will want high-heel shoes at least.” At the look of astonishment, surprise, and apprehension on Harriet’s face, Emma elaborated, “Magical high heels have spells to help the wearer balance, so they are easier to get used to than Muggle high heels. There are cushioning spells too, so your toes won’t hurt when wearing the shoes with higher heels.”

“So I was talking about meeting people worth knowing. Let me begin with James Elton, my fellow 6th year prefect in Slytherin.” Emma pointed out a dark-haired boy wearing a prefect badge. “They say he is likely to be chosen as Head Boy next year. It’s good to network.”

“Woodhouse, see you at the prefect meeting later.” James Elton had come over. “Hello, who’s this?”

“Elton, this is Harriet Smith.”

“Not one of ours, right?”

“She’s from Hufflepuff.”

Elton nodded in acknowledgement. “See you at the meeting later, then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the long break, I got stuck trying to figure out how to introduce Elton.


	8. Harriet Plays the Ukulele

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harriet spends a little more time with Elton.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All characters belong to their respective owners. Any Emma Approved characterisation I borrow belongs to the Pemberley Digital

After Harriet got back to her common room just before the first-years' curfew, she decided to practise a recent song from Muggle radio on her ukulele before going to bed. She was grateful she could play a musical instrument, since Muggle CDs can't be played at Hogwarts.

Hearing the music, Alex came to listen.

"Heard from Arwen you play this. Not bad," he smiled. "Don't sleep too late though. Muggle doctors and wizarding healers both say you shouldn't mess with your body clock too much. You don't want to miss out on breakfast at least, and it's always early in boarding schools."

* * *

Harriet still had not quite played her fill before getting sleepy. The next morning she brought her ukulele down to the lake.

"Oh Harriet! I didn't know you play a musical instrument!" A girl called out.

It was Emma and Elton. Elton seemed a little more interested in her than the previous day. Then again, he had probably seen many new students since term started.

"I have known lots of girls who play the piano, but a ukulele, you are the first player I have seen."

Emma seemed very pleased at this statement of Elton's.

"Variety is the spice of life, right? The world does not consist solely of piano players."

"So tell me more about the song you are playing, and how you started learning this."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a short one before bed... Hoping to post about Slughorn's Christmas party (in-universe) on Christmas 2015!
> 
> I deliberately didn't specify any song because I am not familiar with British pop of 2005 (when I set this story), so feel free to choose your own song.
> 
> My Harriet is only 11, so she will not be dating anyone by the end of this story. She is likely to just develop crushes on the guys she is interested in.


End file.
